ยซSometimes I enjoy imagining how surprised everyone would be, when I will finally show my true colours to them. Astonishment, betrayal, perhaps, admiration, even. I think about it often. Sometimes to amuse my egoโremind myself how much I went through to achieve all thisโand in others I like to think about it as liberation. Though, I understand, even with shedding my skin, even by letting them know what kind of person I am, the layer of my true personality would always be hidden from others. Because...ยป
โ From Drusilla Tyrell's diary.
โข
'Are you okay, Alicent?'
Is she?
Alicent sighs, stopping fidgeting nervously. She doesn't need to turn around to know that it is Drusilla. Either because no one else cares about her enough to ask such questions beyond Aemond or simply because no one calls her by name anymore. She does both. What a charming, majestic girl she is.
'I will be,' she answers in the most honest way she can. 'Did you come to pray?'
Drusilla steps closer, stopping on her left side. She looks more tired than usual, and Alicent can't help but wonder how her talk with Aegon went after all. Most likely nothing happenedโor she would say something to her, right? Or to Aemond?โyet Alicent worries. She can't say why she didn't warn her. She really can't.
It is like this most of the time with her. Sometimes, when she knows that she can help and change someone's life for the better - she doesn't. Instead, Alicent plays the worst possible cards she has. And if it blows up, she blames herself.
'Yes and no. I was worried about you.'
How sweet.
She shouldn't.
'May I ask you the question, Drusilla?'
Lady Tyrell nods.
Alicent clenches her teeth.
She wants to ask about yesterday. About everything, actually. About how and why Drusilla chose to stay silent about what she saw. Or how could she be okay with what is going on in this house. Or even how Aegon acted. And most likely how Drusilla is not disgusted by who she is after hearing what Larys Strong had done to her. But Alicent ends up blurting the question that actually never even bothered her enough to be asked.
'Do you really... Like Aemond?' She doesn't say love, because it is a rare thing - to marry someone you truly love in those days. 'Do you really think he is the man that can make you happy?'
Drusilla looks surprised by this question.
'I like your son very much, actually.' There is a slight pause between her words as she continues. 'Not only because he is handsome or smart. Though, he is.'
Alicent snickers.
Not many people consider Aemond to be handsome. Not with this horrendous scar of his, and eyepatch. To be quite frank, if Alicent wasn't his mother, he would never choose herself a fiancรฉe with such a... Quirk. It must sound horrendously two-faced from her, but as someone who took care of him, someone who knows how much it hurts - not having an eye, dealing with pain - Alicent couldn't bring herself to watch it again. She has enough of taking care of mens' pain. Viserys is a little bit too much for her liking, after all.
'I like him, because he cares. He cares about his family. And he tries to care about me as well.'
'Yes, Aemond is a very caring boy... But it doesn't necessarily mean that he will make you happy, does it?'
'I believe it doesn't,' Drusilla answers, slender musical fingers touching the tips of her silk hair. 'But I don't want it. I want us both trying to make each other happy, not just him. It is tiring work, doing everything himself. He does it a lot already, don't you think?'
The sudden seriousness in the girl's attitude surprises Alicent for a little bit. The words she spoke are true, but she is surprised that Drusilla, the spoiled girl from Tyrells, is truly willing to try. To try to make it work with her son.
'Thank you for that,' Alicent murmurs. 'Aemond is very lucky to have you.'
Drusilla claps in her hands, a big smile appearing on her face almost immediately. There is something beautiful in the way her eyes always lit up, and how happy she looks in the walls of this dreadful castle. Beautiful and scary. Because Alicent doesn't want her to break as all of them did. She wants to keep her happy in a way her father couldn't keep her, and she couldn't save her own children.
'If Aemond... If any of my sons will ever offend you or disrespect you, please, Drusilla, don't shy away. Come to me. We will think of something.'
Alicent had never tried to help those girls, who Aegon hurt. Her only help was the Moon Tea, something they clearly could obtain anyway. But Drusilla... Well, it is different with Drusilla. Because Alicent thinks if Aegon ever hurts her, not only he would never forgive himself, but she will do everything so he would suffer for that.
'Oh. Okay. Thank you, Alicent!'
'It is nothing,' she almost whispers.
And it is really nothing.
Alicent hadn't done anything meaningful in her life. Her actions never brought anything good. But this time she wants to try to change things. In the same way Drusilla changes her family slowly.
And she doesn't really mind that.
After all, she takes better care of her kids than Alicent does.
โข
'Say hi to aunt Drusilla!'
With slight confusion twins, boy and girl, nod their head slightly, before pronouncing in the perfect unison:
'Hello, aunt Drusilla!'
Drusilla offers them her warmest smile.
'It is pleasure to meet you, prince Jaehaerys and princess Jaehaeyra,' she muses softly, hand coming to pat light curls.
There is a Maelor on Helaena's hands, but he is too small to understand anything, so Drusilla simply pinches her cheek.
Ah, kids.
To be completely honest, Drusilla doesn't remember herself wanting one. But she understands that in the end, it's her duty to do so, and sooner or later she will become a mother. She trusts she will learn how to be one to that time, either way, she afraids, she would become no better than Alicent Hightower. And if Alicent still has a big heart to redeem, Drusilla is rather infamous for her ambitions. And that is more dangerous.
'I want brown hair like aunt Drusilla's,' Jaehaeyra suddenly exclaims to them, eyes fixated on her curls.
Drusilla laughs internally. Seems, like their father's wish not to be born in this family is quite contagious.
'Ah, really?' Drusilla sits on her knee before the twins, cupping their cheeks. 'Why so? Princess Jaehaeyra has such beautiful, charming white hair. A true princess!'
ยซ...That will never see a throneยป.
'Brown is prettier!'
Helaena smiles at her daughter, shaking her head amusedly.
'I think hair colour doesn't matter,' Helaena says. 'We are all perfect with the one that was given to us. I assume, my sweet daughter, that you are simply charmed by lady Tyrell herself.'
Drusilla laughs.
How tiring. Should mothers always be so nice and warm, cooing with them? Drusilla gets annoyed by acting like this all her time, and she has no intentions to be two-faced with her own kids. But will they accept her cold nature? She afraids, it will not work out.
'Mhm,' Jaehaerys chides in. 'Lady Tyrell is pretty.'
'Two toadies,' she clicks on the tips of their noses. 'You are very pretty yourself. And so is your little brother!'
'...Little babies are ugly,' Jaehaeyra mutters, suddenly shy.
There is a long silence before Helaena and Drusilla both burst into laughter. Truly, it seems like Jaehaeyra is more her father's daughter than her brother. How funny it turned out.
'He will grow into a fine man once.'
Helaena watches her carefully, before asking:
'Do you want to spend some time with us?'
Drusilla blinks.
She truly doesn't know, should she? Helaena still scares her sometimes, and spending time with her might trigger another vision that, most likely, would be less pleasant than whatever she had seen before. But Helaena is an important part of Aemond's life, and, surprisingly, one of the few Targaryens she holds no hatred to. And after spending so much time around Alicent and Aegon, Drusilla might need a little bit of rest in the company of more... Stable people.
'If it's allowed...'
'Surely!' Helaena's smile grows wider. 'I would be glad!'
Oh, how lonely she must be, Helaena.
Drusilla picks twins on her arms, before following Helaena to her rooms. Well, it might not be that bad.
โข
'Kasia, aren't you?'
Aemond finds himself quite ridiculous, if you ask him. Perhaps, he became too softโor, perhaps, he was like this all the time, just hid it too well beforeโor far too insane at this point. That he cannot answer with all honesty.
'Ah, Prince Aemond,' the servant girl bows deeply. 'Yes, this one's name is Kasia. How can I help?'
'How long have you been with Lady Tyrell?'
If the question sounds off hand, Kasia doesn't ask anything.
'I have been at her service for five years since she left her seclusion, Prince Aemond.'
Aemond hums.
He doesn't know how to put it into the right thoughts so it sounds less like he is worried, and more like he is just asking. He has a reputation to uphold, especially in front of maids that allows rumours to fly around the castle faster than wind resistance.
'So, may I ask you... How was her health all these years? As far as I know, she had problems with lungs?'
He knows that they discussed it already, but this morning as he pretended to be asleep while Drusilla was making her hair, he heard her coughing for two minutes before she left. And that can't be good. Didn't she cough in front of Aegon as well?
'Oh, yes!' Kasia jumps on her place a little bit. 'She had problems with lungs, yes. But when I became her maid they were long gone. I only know it because Lord Tyrell warned me, in case it will return.'
'And had they? Returned?'
'No,' Kasia shakes her head slowly, face deep in thoughts. 'Actually, my Lady is a very healthy human being. She rarely gets cold, and she never broke her bones or anything... Mhm, as someone who usually dresses her up, I can also say that she is very, very beautiful? But she rarely wears short-sleeved dresses... Oh, I mean...'
Now, this girl is just blubbering.
Aemond can see who was a reference for Drusilla's public image of an air-headed lady.
'...I mean, excluding that ugly scar she has... But it's not like you can see it, right, so?'
'...What ugly scar?'
Kasia stops with an open mouth, and smiles awkwardly.
'I apologise I shouldn't mention that, it is not...'
'No, no, elaborate this one.'
'I, I swear it is not that bad! Please, oh, please, don't refuse this marriage, I am soโ'
Aemond rolls his eye, hissing so loudly that Kasia finally stops talking, big brown eyes filled almost with tears, and hands playing with the fabric of her skirt nervously.
'Elaborate.'
'It is nothing! Lady Tyrell just has a long scar on her, mhm, leg. Down her leg, you, you know? She is always in long dresses, so, it is only natural that it is...'
Aemond blinks.
He doesn't listen to what she says after, to be frank. Because something seemed wrong in this story from the very beginning, and what Kasia said suddenly makes a lot of sense. Like the final part of the story. Or maybe it is just the beginning.
If his craziest assumptions are correct, if Aemond is not hallucinating, and if his sister with her prediction was more than right, thenโ
He has to think about it.
Thoroughly.
โข
Drusilla is getting bored.
Not in that exact moment, but in general. It is boring to wait when everything will be settled down. She knows she waited for ten years, and getting impatient right now, when the game at its start is rather stupid, but, well, can't she just complain a little bit? For her own good, really.
The door opens, but the greeting doesn't follow.
'Well, hello to you too, Aemond,' Drusilla sighs.
Aemond is silent, surprisingly. Though, it's the first time they met each other for the whole day, and he is usually more polite.
'My day was fine, thanks for asking,' she rolls her eyes, putting hands on the table, searching for the paper for a letter. 'You know... Hey!'
Before she knows it, Aemond turns her around, pushing to the table, one hand coming to cup her chin, and another tracing way to her hip. It is so sudden that she opens her mouth and closes it back.
'What are you doing?' Drusilla ends up murmuring in his lips, fascinated by the sudden hunger of his.
Again, there is no answer.
Instead, Aemond draws her in the kiss, almost feverish. Before she mirrors his actions, he moves down her chin, and then, neck, pressing lips all over her soft skin. Drusilla is speechless, hands gripping the corners of the table with all the powers she has.
'We can't do that! Not before marriage!' She hisses at him, despite all desire she holds.
Aemond huffs. And, finally, replies to her.
'We are not doing anything.' He smiles curtly. 'I simply wish to please my dear future wife.'
In a swift moment he falls on his knee, and Drusilla feels him getting under her skirt, quite literally. Her brain stops working for a second, while he pushes down her stockings. And then, she realises.
Ah.
Ha-ha!
Finally!
The loss of her words disappears. Her lips curl into a devilish grin, head slightly tilted to the right side, and though his touchesโshort, fleeting kisses that move higher and higherโare satisfying, Drusilla keeps quiet.
And when cold lips finally reach what they were searching forโa terrible, slight pale over the years, scar down her legโAemond backs down.
His face is flush, and his eye burns with fire, the one that only dragons could have. Yet, there is no malice on his face. Quite the opposite.
'You seem surprisingly quiet. Perhaps you don't enjoy the show, Drusilla?'
Oh, she knows what she will hear in the next second. And this knowledge fills her with true excitement. How great it feels! To know that he finally knows!
'Or should I call you Irellea, my love?'
A/N: I am sorry for a short chapter, shshs.
Anyway. Yeah. Didn't want to wait with this plot, since, yk, it was getting obvious. Next chapter will be more about their dialogue and explanation. BUT NOT A FULL ONE, bc Drusilla is shady even with Aemond.
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